Abstract

This research investigates the experience of unit coordinators across Australia. It builds on an earlier Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project that examined and clarified the role of unit coordinators as leaders of learning in higher education (UCaLL). In this paper we focus on the first phase of the project that involved crafting narrative accounts from semi-structured interviews describing the lived experiences of participants. We wanted to know how unit coordinators perceive their role as leaders of learning in higher education and whether the support provided to them met their needs. Nine themes were identified among the narrative accounts and these include; teaching and assessment, starting out, managing workloads and complexity, leading learning and feeling isolated. We found that unit coordinators welcomed our interest in their work, although many did not view themselves as leaders of learning in their institutions. We also found that few unit coordinators described strong institutional support for their role, instead relying on building supportive relationships with colleagues and that the development of a 'just in timejust for me' website interested our participants.